


The Final Chapter

by Wix



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Moving On, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), not a fix it, not team Cap friendly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-28
Updated: 2019-02-28
Packaged: 2019-11-07 05:21:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17954354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wix/pseuds/Wix
Summary: Steve has plenty of time to mull over past events while in Wakanda. When faced with certain truths, he's forced to realize that sometimes all stories must come to an end.





	The Final Chapter

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys!
> 
> Just typed this up and thought you might enjoy it! Let me know if you did!

He waits four days.

Four full days filled with a constant anxious waiting and an almost pathological need to check the phone in his hand for any new texts before he decides that once again, he’s going to have to be the one who reaches out first.

The days in Wakanda have been full with a kind of lazy luxury and it’s been a nice reprieve to the chaos that stormed down around them before. He’s gotten rather used to the grand rooms that King T’Challa has granted them and he’s gotten rather used to the subtle shift in technology all around him. Sam and the others are constantly awed by something or another, yet Steve’s used to waking up in a brave new world that doesn’t make any sense.

He is rather impressed that Wakanda has managed to hide all of this from the outside world. Tony would love it here. It was like walking in and out of his labs over and over again, from one building to the next.

There are some hiccups, and Steve figures that they’re a lot less than they should be so he doesn’t say anything about it and just endures. He gets it, each time he gets a distrustful look or the almost aggressive confusion in regards to their presence in Wakanda with each person he passes. It makes sense after all, Wakanda has been safe because of its severe dogma of isolationism. Steve and his group are a sign of the volatile outside world, the same world that their King wants to pull them into.

T’Challa doesn’t talk about it much, but it’s clear that not everyone agrees with the direction that he’s taking the country. It is odd to Steve how a place can be so technologically advanced and yet he can’t help but feel that some of the cultural shifts present in the outside world have been ignored within these walls. There’s a level of violent tribalism that makes him slightly uncomfortable, but they’re guests here and he’s not about to ‘bite the hand that feeds him’.

 _Bucky’s healing has stalled._ Steve texts on the fourth night after a long debate with himself about how he should go about this. He considered more apologies, but he figures that it’s unnecessary at this point since he’s already said it in the letter and repeating it just brings it back up over and over again and doesn’t let either of them move past it. He decides in the end to just pretend that he’s gotten the apology he never got from the brunet and that they’re just texting while Steve’s off on some mission and Tony’s still trapped back in the states dealing with SI. _They thought that they’d be able to do more for him, but this is a new area for them. They don’t have a lot of data on it and as you can guess they’re being careful. They don’t want to accidentally trigger the Winter Soldier or accidentally fry Bucky’s mind._

He holds onto the phone the whole night, waiting for some kind of response and he can almost fool himself that Tony’s reluctance to respond is just that he’s busy. The response comes later that night, and wakes Steve up from a sound sleep and Steve immediately looks at the screen. There it is. There’s a text message. Tony replied.

He’s clicking for it to open the message before he’s even fully woken up and he looks at the words on the screen.

**_Why are you texting me?  About Barnes no less?_ **

_He’s a victim to all of this Tony. And he’s a big part of my life. Why wouldn’t I? I can’t pretend he just doesn’t exist._

**_That didn’t tell me why._ **

_I just wanted to check in. See how you were doing._

**_My best friend is paralyzed. How do you think I’m doing?_**  Tony’s reply feels like a slap to the face and although Tony can’t see it, Steve cringes.

_I’m sorry. How is Rhodes doing?_

**_What do you want Rogers?_ **

_To talk to you. To try to do this differently._

**_Feels a little late in the game for that._ **

_This isn’t a game Tony._

**_No it isn’t._ **

Tony doesn’t reply to any other text that Steve sends him that night and Steve can’t help but mull over his last message. Tony’s always referred to all of this like some sort of chess game. Steve can’t even count the number of times Tony referred to whatever threat he saw coming in the future as the ‘Endgame’.

“You look like you’re thinking too hard.” Natasha says as she comes over to where he’s looking out over the balcony. “Something on your mind?”

“Just thinking about Tony.” Steve admits and Natasha nods like she was expecting it.

“Has he called you yet?”

“No, not yet.” Steve says and she doesn’t look surprised about that either. “He texted me though.” He feels he needs to add on in the brunet’s defense and Natasha’s eyebrow arches.

“He did?” She asks and he nods. “What did he say?”

“Rhodes is paralyzed.” Steve says and she reaches out and puts a hand on his arm.

“Don’t let Tony make you feel bad about that. It wasn’t your fault, sometimes these things just happen.” She says and Steve gives her a small, grateful smile.

“I know.” Steve says. “And he wasn’t trying. I asked.”

“Did he say what he’s up to?” Natasha asks. “We’re running blind out here and he’s not reaching out to any of us.” She smiles at him. “Then again, you always were his weakness.”

 _‘Then again, you always were his weakness’_ Natasha’s comment follows Steve like a ghost haunting him for the rest of the day. He’d wanted to ask he what she meant, but there was something about the way she said it that made him feel foolish for not knowing.

 _Can I ask you something?_ Steve texts that night when he’s laying in bed. There isn’t any immediate response to his request so he presses on. _Nat said something to me today. She said I was your weakness._ He sits in the dark for over an hour before the phone buzzes.

 ** _And? That’s not a question._** Tony’s reply makes him look back at his and he figures that Tony’s right to a point. It’s clear that he has in fact asked a question, but Tony’s pretending that he doesn’t see it.

 _What did she mean by that?_ Steve sends and he waits. He’s a little surprised when the phone starts buzzing, referencing multiple replies and he opens it. They’re photo attachments and Steve feels confused as he opens the first one. It’s a team photo, taken after the Battle of New York. Some reporter managed to snag an image of the group eating at that shawarma place. Steve feels a little bit of a smile tug at his lips at the image. They look exhausted, if only they’d known what was coming around the corner.

He flips back and opens the next few. He doesn’t get why Tony sent him these photos. They’re just images taken over the years of the team together. Is Tony trying to answer him? Because if so, Steve’s not understanding.

 _That doesn’t answer my question_. Steve eventually sends back after looking over the images of the team and Tony’s reply is almost automatic.

 ** _Then you’re not looking._** Is what Tony sends back to him and Steve frowns as he scrolls back up and looks again at the photos. How does this answer anything?

The answer, when it finally hits him two days later, hits him like a ton of bricks.

In each of the photos there’s two constants. One- that no matter what’s happening, Tony’s looking and smiling at him, and two- Steve is always looking anywhere else but the brunet. It’s all right there, the answer that Steve wasn’t ready to see and he’s still not sure if he’s really ready to know this information either. Tony’s smiles are fond, soft and so painfully open. He’s always looking at Steve and in several he’s reached out to put a hand on Steve’s arm or shoulder or something.

Steve never saw it before. He never knew. Now it’s impossible to not see it.

He gets online, checks a few images of the old Avengers press conferences or of really any of the old Avengers photos that people caught before the world turned on them, and it’s there. In each and every single one of them, it’s there and it unmoors Steve.

 _I swear I never knew._ Steve sends and he’s grateful that Tony doesn’t make him wait.

**_I knew._ **

_Why didn’t you tell me?_

**_Why would I?_** Tony’s question is as simple as it is complex. There are so many levels to unravel in that simple reply and as much as a part of Steve understands them, he wants to rage against them at the same time. Steve tries to call out, to talk to Tony directly, but the call cuts off like Tony’s hung up on him and there’s the buzz of a new message. **_Don’t_**.

_We need to talk._

**_Not about that. Not after everything. Just don’t._ **

“What’s wrong?” Bucky asks him as he sits there on the doctor’s table preparing for whatever new round of tests the Wakandan scientists are planning to run on him. For some reason, he feels guilt wash over him. Bucky’s looking to go back into cryo and Steve’s thinking about Tony.

“I’ve been talking to Tony.” Steve replies softly so as not to be overheard and Bucky looks as surprised as Natasha was when Steve told her Tony had replied. “Just some stuff came up and…and I don’t know what to do about it.”

“What came up?” Bucky asks and Steve considers keeping this a secret, a kind of quiet thing between him and Tony but this is Bucky, and Steve doesn’t keep secrets well.

“I think…I think he’s in love with me.” Steve says. “For a long time.” Bucky gets a look like that answers something and Steve tilts his head. “What?”

“Nothin.”

“Hey, I told you.” Steve points out and Bucky sighs.

“It just answers a few questions.” Bucky replies.

“What questions?”

“He turned to you.” Bucky says. “When he asked if you knew. That level of rage, of pain…it wasn’t all in the past. That was a fresh wound mixed up in all of that. Explains why he let us live.”

“Let us live? That’s not what I remember happening.”

“Then you’re not being honest with yourself.” Bucky says matter-of-factly. “He could have killed us in a second, but he didn’t. I couldn’t figure out why before. He could have done the finishing blow at any time but he never did. He let us win. He let you walk away from him.”

 _‘Then you’re not being honest with yourself…he let you walk away from him.’_  Is the new comment hanging around in his head alongside Nat’s _‘You always were his weakness’._

It’s funny how it freezes up any text he wants to send to Tony in the aftermath of them. He tries several, typing them up and then deleting them. Over and over again, never quite finding the right way to say whatever it is he wants to say. Eventually, he settles on a simple message.

_We need to meet._

**_Yeah, I don’t think that’s a good idea._** Tony replies and Steve just texts back one word.

 _Please_. He hits send and waits. He doesn’t have to wait long.

 ** _Where and when?_**  He can almost feel Tony’s exhaustion in the question but he gets up immediately to go seek out T’Challa.

“Captain Rogers, can I help you?” T’Challa asks and Steve nods slightly, holding the phone in his hand.

“I was wondering if I might get your help with something.” He asks and T’Challa gives him a look.

“I’ve helped you quite a bit at this point Captain.” T’Challa reminds him and Steve nods, making sure to show just how grateful he is for all of T’Challa’s help. “What did you need?”

“Tony wants to meet.” Steve says and T’Challa looks him over, those dark eyes taking him in and reading something that Steve can only guess.

“Is that wise?” T’Challa asks eventually. “Considering how everything was left off the last time the two of you crossed paths.”

“I have to talk to him.” Steve begs. “Please your majesty…I need to see him.” It’s odd to see a similar look to what Bucky had on his face cross the kings, but T’Challa nods after a moment.

“Did you wish to meet here?” T’Challa asks. “It would be the most secure option available.”

“If that would be possible.”

“Do understand Captain. If I extend an invitation to Mr. Stark, then he is a guest of mine as are you and yours. I will not abide any…aggressions towards him.”

“I’ll talk to everyone.” Steve says quickly. “I promise, nothing will happen.” T’Challa takes a moment like he’s not sure if he should go through with this but he nods and motions for Steve to leave. “Thank you.” Steve says and T’Challa nods as the doors close.

 _T’Challa should be reaching out to you soon with details._ Steve sends Tony as he goes back to the common room. The team sans Bucky is there and Steve motions for them all to come over to the table.

“What’s up Cap?” Sam asks as they all take a seat and Steve takes a deep breath before he lets it out slowly.

“Tony’s coming to Wakanda.” He says and immediately there are shouts of outrage and disbelief to his statement. “T’Challa is extending an invitation to him and he’s made it absolutely clear that should there be any incident between us and Tony, he will wash his hands of us.”

“What the fuck is Stark coming here for?” Clint growls and Steve feels the phone’s steady weight in his hand.

“You asked him to come.” Natasha guesses as she looks him over and he nods.

“I did.” Steve agrees. “And T’Challa is setting up a time with him right now to come over.”

“This is a bad plan Cap.” Natasha tells him. “It’s too soon.”

“We’ve let certain things fester for far too long.” Steve says to that. “Maybe it’s time we stopped waiting around for it to not be raw anymore.”

“I don’t want Stark here.” Wanda snaps and Steve looks at her.

“You don’t have to see him. I’ll make sure you know when he’s here, but I think you should talk to him. I think we all should. I think this could be a good thing if we handle it as such.”

“That’s naïvely optimistic Cap.” Sam says. “There are a lot of wounds here.”

“You should tell them.” Natasha says and Steve looks at her. “What happened in Siberia, or things are going to blow out of proportion again.” The simple comment lets Steve know that Nat always knew what went down between the two leaders of the Avengers up in that frozen wasteland.

“Tell us what?” Sam asks and Steve takes a deep breath.

“The fight, between Tony, Bucky and I.” Steve starts. “I never told you what started it.”

“Stark attacked you. What’s it matter what started it?” Wanda asks and Steve sighs.

“It matters.” Steve says. “I should have…I should have told you right away but things were just so hectic with Bucky and I just…didn’t.” Steve looks at the phone in his hand. “There was a video that Zemo played. Of the Winter Soldier finishing a mission.”

“Okay?” Clint asks, clearly motioning for him to speed it up.

“December 1991.” Steve says. “The Stark accident…they didn’t die in a car accident. Hydra had a video of it…it was…traumatic for Tony to watch. He snapped, wouldn’t listen to me. He was going to take us in and I couldn’t let him.”

“I thought you said he tried to kill you?” Clint asks and Steve shakes his head.

“No. He didn’t. He just wasn’t willing to listen anymore and I…I had to worry about Bucky. And everything got so crazy so quickly and…” Steve makes a helpless noise.

“Bucky killed Tony’s parents?” Sam asks horrified and Steve immediately shakes his head.

“No. What he did as the Winter Soldier wasn’t really Bucky.” Steve says and Sam gives him a look.

“But it was his body. His face.” Sam gets a look. “You said there was a video? Shit, I can’t imagine.”

“That doesn’t excuse Stark.” Wanda snaps and Sam looks at her with a certain level of disgust.

“I’m sorry, this coming from the woman who tried to kill the man who inherited the company of the bomb makers of the bomb that _didn’t_ go off for years?” Sam snaps back and Steve puts up a hand.

“Hey, none of that.” He says and they look at him. “He trusted me, and I lied. I knew, the whole time I knew.” Steve remembers the look on Tony’s face. _Did you know?_  “Once he knew that I did…he wasn’t willing to listen anymore. He just attacked and I…well I didn’t help.”

“You should have told us.” Sam says as he crosses his arms. “You know you should have told us.”

“It’s in the past.” Natasha says, cutting in for him. “Now we need to think about the future.”

“What future?” Clint snaps.

“The one that might happen if everyone is on their best behavior.” She says.

“You want us to suck up to Stark?” Clint asks with disbelief and Nat nods.

“He’s the media’s darling on most days and right now? He’s practically their prophet and savior.” Natasha says. “If he says ‘turn the other cheek’ then the world will. If he doesn’t? There’s a good chance that they don’t. Or at least no time soon and who knows how long T’Challa will actually let us stay, but _years_? I don’t know if we should depend on his generosity that much.”

“I’m going to talk to Tony.” Steve says. “He’s here to talk to me. I asked for him to come. Can we just…I know that a lot has happened but we’re a family. Can we be one please?”

He gets a few half-hearted nods, but he figures he’ll take them.

He doesn’t know how he feels when Tony arrives in a jet. He’d expected the Iron Man armor to fly over Wakanda’s skies and land in that signature pose right in front of the palace. Something showy and dramatic and so like Tony – something different than this muted version of Tony who arrives in the jet and steps off, making rounds and greeting the royal family like he’s some kind of diplomat or politician. He eventually glances over in Steve’s and the rest of their directions, but Steve can tell that Tony’s only looking at him at first before his eyes travel to the people beside him and then he turns his attention back to the young Wakandan princess eager for his attention and to pick the brain of one of the smartest men on earth.

Tony, charming as ever, plays his role perfectly. Of that Steve’s sure, the fact of the matter is that Steve just isn’t really sure what role Tony is playing.

The entire group tenses up when Tony is finally shown over to them, and Tony cuts off any words or anything any of them might have said.

“Not here, too many eyes.” Tony says quietly. “Let’s get inside.” Steve nods with Tony’s point and they all move this reunion to the area that they’ve been staying. “Where is Barnes?” Tony asks and Steve can’t help the tenseness that rachets up in him at the question.

“He’s going into cryo soon. He won’t be present so you don’t have to worry about seeing him.” Steve says.

“He’s going into cryo?”

“I told you, they can’t figure out the triggers yet and he’s…he doesn’t feel safe out and about while they do.” Steve replies. “So he’s agreed to go back into cryo until they’re able to fix him.”

“I want to see him.” Tony says and immediately there are nay-sayers to that request.

“I don’t think that’s wise.” Natasha says, coming forward and moving as if to give Tony a hug. Tony takes a small step back and the female spy lowers her hands with a nod. “You look good.”

“Extremis will do that.” Tony says to that. “And I didn’t ask what you thought about it. I want to see Barnes.”

“Tony, please. I don’t think that-” Steve starts and Tony looks at him.

“I came here because you requested it. Now I’m requesting to meet Barnes.” It’s clear what Tony’s saying. I’m here under good faith, and now I want something to show for it.

“It might be best to wait until after he wakes up.” Steve tries again and Tony shakes his head.

“No. It has to be now.” Tony turns to one of their escorts and asks something to her in the language that Steve has yet to pick up. It brings an amused smile to his lips, of course Tony would know Xhosa. He might have even learned it just on the way over here. She nods and clearly relays the message before

“He has agreed.” The woman says a few minutes later before she motions for him to follow her. Steve and the others trail after him and Steve isn’t certain how to hinder or deter the brunet in his determination to hurt Bucky again.

“Tony, you came here to talk to me. Can’t you just…leave Bucky out of it?”

“I came here to discuss the Accords with King T’Challa.” Tony replies to that. “I came here to talk with you yes, but that is not the only reason I am here.”

“You wouldn’t have come if I hadn’t asked.”

“Possibly.” Tony replies to that. “In which case, this meeting that King T’Challa and I need to have we would just have elsewhere.” He doesn’t say anything to them before he goes into the room where Bucky is waiting for him. Steve watches as Bucky turns and lays eyes on the other brunet and he takes a deep breath before seeming to accept any kind of retribution that Tony might want to dish out.

“Leave us.” Bucky says eventually and Steve shakes his head.

“Bucky no.” Steve takes a small step forward when Bucky levels a hard look on him.

“I said go.” Bucky repeats and Steve fights it a little when Nat puts a hand on his arm to guide him out. He looks at Tony.

“Please, it wasn’t him. Don’t…don’t do anything anyone might regret.” He begs and Tony doesn’t say anything to that as the doors close. “We shouldn’t let them be alone.” Steve argues immediately and Nat shakes her head.

“Tony knows he’s here as not only a guest, but as the face of Stark Industries and the Avengers Initiative. He won’t do anything that’ll jeopardize either of those things.” She looks at the door. “I’ll admit, it’s unexpected.”

“What is?” Clint asks. “What are you getting from him?”

“I don’t know.” Nat admits. “He seems tired, and he’s put on all the old masks and isn’t really trying to maintain their upkeep, but beyond that? I don’t know.”

“Wanda? What about you? Are you picking anything up?” Clint asks the young girl and she shrugs.

“He’s testing the waters for something.” She says. “For what, I don’t know.”

“Testing the waters? Like trying to see if we’ll all take him back?” Sam asks and Steve hopes that’s it and that Tony walks away from here realizing that they totally will. In a heartbeat they will.

“I don’t know. Without looking, I don’t know.” She says again. The doors open after only about five or seven minutes and Tony steps out, thanking the woman and motioning for Steve to lead on. It doesn’t take them long to reach their rooms.

“What did you say to Bucky?” Steve asks as soon as the doors are closed.

“I thought you wanted to speak to me privately.” Tony questions, looking at the others present in the area.

“The whole group thought it might be good to talk all as one.” Steve says. “I thought it was a good idea too.”

“What’s there to talk about? The Accords? T’Challa more than has that covered if you have questions.”

“No about…about us.” Steve says, motioning with a hand towards the group. Tony lets out a soft sigh and turns to look at them all standing there. “We all need to talk.”

“We’ve been out of the loop.” Natasha says with a small smile and a shrug. “Maybe you could fill us in?” Tony shrugs slightly and nods, coming over and taking a seat at the table. They all follow suit.

“International arrest warrants have been released for you, but you already knew that.” Tony starts. “Ross and I are working together to deal with the next round of Accords votes.”

“You’re working with Ross?” Clint snaps and Tony nods and gives no further answer to that question.

“Wanda’s been denied citizenship. Rhodey’s physical therapy is coming along and I’m preparing to recruit the next generation of Avengers.”

“You denied my citizenship?” Wanda growls at the same time that Sam asks his own question.

“You’re recruiting? You’re not even going to try to get us back?”

“I attempted to get you your citizenship once before, which was a hard enough uphill battle long before you left the Compound.” Tony tells Wanda before turning to Sam. “And why wouldn’t I? With the team destroyed, new members are needed. Vision, Spider-Man and I can’t hold everything on our own.”

“You could accept us back.” Natasha points out and Tony glances at her.

“I’m not on the committee overseeing what happens in regards to you. I considered it a conflict of interests and they agreed with me.” He says afterwards.

“We both know that you could get on that committee if you wanted.” She says and he inclines his head in agreeance with her.

“Yes I could, I won’t, but I could.” Tony replies. “As it is, recruitment was always the next step. I’m just simply following through with the schedule.”

“Convenient that you’ve gotten rid of all your oppositions.” Wanda says. “So you’ll be the uncontested leader.”

“I got rid of nothing, it was never in my hands to do anything with it.” Tony says, glancing at her. “You threw it away and I’m done picking it back up and handing it back to you.”

“Why are you here Stark?” Clint asks and Tony shrugs.

“I’m here because I was asked.” He replies. “Why I was asked, well you’d have to ask them.”

“Should you really be here? If you’re not willing to be part of a solution then-” Clint starts and Steve’s a little surprised with Tony’s nonchalant air as he cuts him off.

“Steve and T’Challa both asked me here. Don’t like it, I can go. I was asked to be here, not the other way around.” Steve’s thankful when Clint backs off. He doesn’t want to start a fight before they’re really able to talk about anything.

“Do you have any prospective new Avengers?” Natasha asks and Tony just looks at her.

“I have a few I’m considering reaching out to at this time.” It sounds like an answer that Tony would give at a press conference and not a team meeting.

“Anyone we know?” Nat presses and Tony shrugs.

“I don’t know who you know, or what you know – as evidenced by recent events. So I wouldn’t know.” Tony’s calm slap in their face about the Winter Soldiers hit is obvious and silence reigns for a few moments.

“Why are you here Tony?” Natasha finally asks and Tony looks at them all.

“I wanted to know something.” He says eventually. “I needed the answer to something.”

“What answer?” Steve asks and Tony looks at him.

“I wanted to know what I’d feel if I saw you all again.” He says. “Anger, betrayal, frustration, loss, nostalgia.”

“And?” Steve hears himself ask. “What was your answer?”

“…Nothing.” Tony replies. “I felt nothing.” That answer rocks through Steve for some reason, and he knows why a moment later.

Tony always turned to him in photos yes, but he always tended to maintain his attention on Steve. Sometimes he’d even look up or something like he could sense Steve’s attention on him. Now though? Now he seems to be flickering his attention evenly through them all.

“So, this is it then?” Natasha asks and Tony nods.

“Yeah…yeah I think it is.”

“Just going to throw us away because we’re no longer easy?” Clint snaps and Tony glances in his direction.

“You were never easy in the first place.” Tony says. “We’ve had…” Tony pauses like he’s not sure whether to fill in that blank with ‘good’ or ‘bad’. “…times together.” Apparently he opts for neither, which feels closer to the second than the first. “It’s time to go our separate ways.”

“Why?” Steve asks. “Because of what happened? Tony I’m sorry. I’m sorry I lied, I’m sorry for what I did.-” Tony holds up a hand to stop him.

“I’m not here for your apologies Steve.” He says. “You asked me a question and I answered it for you as best as I could. Now I’m answering a new one for myself. I wanted to know if it was still true.” He gives Steve a smile that Steve’s not sure he’s ever seen on Tony’s face before. It’s soft and genuine and hopeful. “And it’s not.” He looks at them all. “I’m not going to get in your way, so good luck. If you cross the Avengers at some point in the future…well I guess we’ll deal with that if it comes to it.” The door opens and Steve sees T’Challa standing at it. “Right on time.” Tony states as he stands up and gives them all one final glance. “Onto the next chapter. Goodbye.” He says as he makes his way to the door, shaking T’Challa’s hand and letting it close behind him.

It’s final, and Steve knows it deep within himself. That door is closed and there will never be any reunion or return to the brunet’s side.

The book is closed right when he was finally getting interested, and something tells him he’ll never get to open it again to try to figure out what he missed. And that’s the worst feeling he’s ever experienced.

**Author's Note:**

> Please no comments of a critiquing or negative nature. Thank you.


End file.
